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Metrowater to hold open house meetings

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The Hindu   10.08.2012

Metrowater to hold open house meetings

Staff Reporter

Chennai Metrowater will organise open house meetings in all its 15 area offices on Saturday between 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.These meetings will provide an opportunity to residents to voice their grievances about erratic water supply or poor sewage disposal in the city.

Consumers may register their complaints and also get doubts clarified on water, sewerage tax and water charges. A total of 57 complaints were received regarding water supply and sewage disposal during the meetings held last month.Measures are being taken to resolve five complaints, a release said.

Last Updated on Friday, 10 August 2012 05:58
 

Lakes to wait longer for infusion of life

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The Hindu   10.08.2012

Lakes to wait longer for infusion of life

K. Lakshmi

Project for water bodies in Ambattur, Korattur and Madhavaram delayed

NeglectedKorattur lake has been abused with the release of effluents and sewage —Photo: K. Pichumani
 
NeglectedKorattur lake has been abused with the release of effluents and sewage —Photo: K. Pichumani

The wait for rejuvenation of three water bodies in Ambattur, Korattur and Madhavaram is set to get longer, as the Water Resources Department (WRD) only plans to take up the project under the second phase of the Jawaharlal Nehru National Urban Renewal Mission (JNNURM).

While measures are on to improve lakes in Porur and Nemam, the WRD has slowed down on the JNNURM project owing to unchecked pollution and encroachments. According to sources in the department, unless illegal discharge of sewage into the lakes is arrested, desilting and improvement work would not be of much use.

Korattur lake, spread over 996 acres, is one of the largest water bodies in the Ambattur circle. However, it has for long been neglected and abused, with release of industrial effluents and raw sewage from surrounding areas including Pattaravakkam, Athipet and Ambattur.

M. Elangovan, a resident of Korattur Agraharam, said groundwater in the area has been polluted in the past six months owing to continuous release of raw sewage into the Korattur lake.

“I live about half a kilometre from the lake. I am unable to use water from the well, as it has turned murky. Some of the residents have shifted from the area due to this problem. I buy a pot of water for Rs. 5-7 and also from private tankers as the water supply is erratic,” he said.

Residents recalled that they were able to use water from the lake for drinking around 15 years ago.Hari Subramaniam, a resident of Ambattur said that some of the industrial units continue to release their effluents into the lakes. If the water bodies were restored, they would serve as drinking water sources for surrounding localities.

At present, steps are being taken to improve surplus courses of Ambattur and Madhavaram under the first phase of JNNURM.Officials of the WRD said that strengthening the sewerage network must be given priority in these localities to prevent entry of raw sewage and industrial effluents into the lakes.

“We are planning to discuss with Chennai Metrowater about building adequate sewage pumping stations and treatment plants to stop the discharge of sewage and pollution in the water bodies,” said an official.

Sources in Metrowater said that Ambattur and Madhavaram zones would be completely covered with a sewerage network by early next year, after which pollution into the lakes would be arrested.

Meanwhile, a detailed project report is being prepared for the second phase of JNNURM. However, officials said it would take at least eight months for the project to be implemented.

Last Updated on Friday, 10 August 2012 05:55
 

Water network to come under automated control

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The Hindu   08.08.2012

Water network to come under automated control

S.Ganesan

Corporation decides to go for Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition system

The entire drinking water supply distribution network in the city would soon come under an automated control and monitoring system soon as the Corporation has decided to go in for a Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition (SCADA) system.

According to Corporation sources, both the new Rs.221.42 crore drinking water supply augmentation scheme, currently under execution, and the existing water schemes catering to the city would be brought under the system.

Though the Corporation had previously proposed for SCADA system to be operated through VSAT, it has now decided to go in for a GPRS-based system, which involves lower capital investment and maintenance expenditure. The Corporation has taken technical assistance from the National Institute of Technology and Anna University to implement the project.

Through the system, the Corporation would be able to monitor and control the entire water works, distribution system consisting of pumping stations, control devices like valves and various other flow pressure monitoring and regulating facilities. Besides, the Corporation would be able to regulate the system to ensure equitable supply to all parts of the city, a Corporation engineer said. Control rooms would also be established in various parts of the city to monitor and control the distribution network. The project is expected to the commissioned over the next one year, sources said.

Meanwhile, the Corporation has completed works on connecting the pumping mains of the new drinking water supply augmentation scheme to provide supply to the Woraiyur area from the scheme’s collector wells at Coleroon River. About 11 overhead water tanks in the Woraiyur area including those at Puthur, Fathima Nagar, Thyagaraja Nagar, Mangalam Nagar and SBI Colony would be fed through the new pumping lines. The areas are currently fed by the Corporation Main Pumping Station and Collector Well on the Cauvery river bed.

On Sunday, the civic body carried out the work on connecting the pumping mains across the Karur highway near Kudamuritti. The Corporation is expected to start pumping about 10 million litres a day to the area from the new scheme over the next 10 to 15 days, sources said.

  • The GPRS-based system involves lower capital investment and maintenance expenditure
  • Civic body has taken technical assistance from NIT and Anna University for implementing project
Last Updated on Wednesday, 08 August 2012 07:01
 


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